In addition to the Climate Ranger Community, Glacier is now also creating a Climate Leaders Community. The first meeting of this Circle focused on input, exchange, and support from and between sustainability officers. Because as diverse as the companies and positions of the participants may be, they have one thing in common: the challenge of a sustainable corporate transformation and the desire to master it successfully.
"How do we set the course for a sustainable future?" With these words, Magdalena Wallis opened the first meeting of the Climate Leaders Circle on April 11, 2023, at Value One, addressing 80 Climate Leaders from 73 companies.
What are Climate Leaders?
Up to now, the Glacier training program has primarily focused on Climate Rangers, i.e., employees who, through specific climate protection courses in the Glacier Climate Academy, develop awareness and skills for sustainable action within their company, which they can then apply directly in their positions and thereby motivate colleagues to engage in climate protection.
With the Climate Leaders Circle, the focus is now also on, as the name suggests, the Climate Leaders. Climate Leaders are those within a company who carry the responsibility for a sustainable corporate transformation, who are already aware of this responsibility for their own company and the environment, and who want and need to get the entire workforce on board.
Federal Minister for Climate Action at the Climate Leaders Circle
Leonore Gewessler
"In many respects, you are by definition responsible for ensuring that climate protection is implemented within the company. […] This transformation is not solely your job, but you are key pacesetters and drivers," said Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler, addressing the Climate Leaders.
The Program
The evening was dedicated to the topic "Sustainability Department 2.0" and addressed the increasing importance of sustainability officers and departments within companies.
In addition to the address by Leonore Gewessler, the evening featured talks by Good Practice Climate Leaders such as Herbert Hetzel of Beyond Carbon Energy and Drew Wilkinson, who, after his seven-year role as Sustainability Community Lead and Co-Founder at Microsoft, has now made it his mission to support sustainable transformation in other companies as well.
Furthermore, the participants were able to listen to an in-depth panel talk with Climate Leaders Mirjam Ernst (Vöslauer), Johannes Scherrer (A1 Telekom Austria Group), Aakriti Chandihok (ÖBAG), and Thorsten Leitgeb (Casinos Austria), which addressed topics such as employee engagement and incentivization.
Panel: Ernst, Scherrer, Chandihok, Leitgeb
Panel: Ernst, Scherrer, Chandihok, Leitgeb
Exchange on shared challenges and solution strategies
After the talks, exchange was on the agenda, and with it the central aim that the Climate Leaders Circle is intended to achieve: jointly developing solutions and supporting one another.
As diverse as the companies whose Climate Leaders attended the event are, the problems they face in the process of sustainable corporate transformation are equally similar.
Outlook for the next meeting In community fashion, the topic for the next meeting, which is expected to take place in July 2023, was also decided together in order to create the greatest added value for the participants through the Circle.
In a vote, the majority of Climate Leaders decided that they wanted to address the topic "Climate Communication and Anti-Greenwashing" in greater depth.
We asked our Climate Leaders:
What advice would you like to give to future Climate Leaders?
ÖBAG
Aakriti Chandihok
"Sustainability unites people. Ultimately, we all need to be aware that sustainability cannot be started one day and finished the next; it is actually a mission. If everyone pulls together and we recognize this common purpose, then this mission will also be successful."
A1 Telekom Austria Group
Johannes Scherrer
"Be bold. Get started, even if you're only two people. Try to make the topic bigger, package it into a story, and make it communicable. You'll be amazed at how many people will join this journey."
Service Now
Jürgen Rohr
"The most important thing is to stay on it and not be discouraged by resistance and obstacles. More people are interested in the topic of climate change than you might think. The key is to find these people within the company and also to inspire management. Once you've achieved that, things almost start to fall into place on their own."
First Climate
Alina Juncker
"The most important thing is to get started. Of course, it's a really big task, but every journey starts with the first step. Initially, focus on the measures that can be implemented quickly and easily, such as green electricity, before tackling the difficult topics that require years of planning and implementation. So really, one step at a time."
Do you have questions about the Climate Leaders Circle?
Contact our organizer Lea to ask her your questions.
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